To Steal a Kiss
Girls who dare – Inside every wallflower is the beating heart of a lioness, a passionate individual willing to risk all for their dream, if only they can find the courage to begin. When these overlooked girls make a pact to change their lives, anything can happen.Ten girls – Ten dares in a hat. Who will dare to risk it all? To Steal a KissThe desire to take a chance and snatch …
To Steal a Kiss
The desire to take a chance and snatch at happiness.
Being dared to kiss a man in the moonlight is all well and good, but men and moonlight do not fall from the skies at will. Until they do. Under instruction from a friend, drab Alice Dowding lingers alone on a moonlit balcony. Not the most sensible course of action for a usually sensible girl. Yet being sensible has gained Alice a seat among the wallflowers and her only likely chance of marriage to a man she finds nigh on repulsive. Something must be done.
A guilty conscience and a bad man.
When Nathaniel Hunt’s sister begs him for a favour, he can hardly refuse. Nathaniel, part owner of one of the most scandalous gambling dens in London is responsible for Matilda’s tattered reputation, and she knows he is no position to deny her anything.
When she begs him to kiss her mousy friend on a moonlit night, however, a chain of events is set in motion that none of them could have predicted.
When a little favour ignites an inferno.
Ignited by one soul-stealing kiss, mousy, sensible, dull Alice, is setting off sparks wherever her feet touch the ground, and all Nathaniel can do is pray he doesn’t get burned.
**** Warning: This book contains a careful selection of quiet determination, resolute tight-lipped-ness and (almost) insurmountable levels of tension. Although coupled with the presence of occasionally descriptive sexual encounters, we are very pleased to highlight that this book – and series – is in no way verging on erotica.
**** AUTHOR’S NOTE: Girls Who Dare is an ongoing saga following the Peculiar Ladies, their friendships and loves, and is designed to be read in order. Whilst they may be read as standalone novels, some aspects of the story will not be explained if read in this fashion. The reading order is as follows:
•Book 1: To Dare a Duke
•Book 2: To Steal a Kiss
•Book 3: To Break the Rules
•Book 4: To Follow her Heart
•Book 5: To Wager with Love
•Book 6: To Dance with a Devil
•Book 7: To Winter at Wildsyde
•Book 8: To Experiment with Desire
•Book 9: To Bed the Baron
•Book 10: To Ride with the Knight
•Book 11: To Hunt the Hunter
•Book 12: To Dance until Dawn
(Also related: Matilda and Montagu, The story so far. A compilation of all the encounters between Matilda and Montagu from each book)
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I’m still smiling! Such a light-hearted romance. Emma V. Leech is a must-read for every historical romance lover.
I loved this book.
A fabulous, romantic book. The relationship is sweet, and so perfect. Loved every page. One of the better books I have read recently. Great ending!
@3 in the Series by Emma Leech about 10 Wallflowers who are dared to select a dare from a hat. In this book Alice, with the red hair, has to kiss a stranger at midnight on the balcony. She gains her courage and her life changers for the better
This is such a fun series & it’s only Book 2 – I just love the stories & wonderful character that Emma has created for our reading enjoyment!
Miss Alice Dowding has grown up to be always proper, ladylike & marry a titled gentleman. Her parents were rich & social climbers that were just on the edge of the Ton & their daughter would help them gain full acceptance when she married in to a titled family. Alice has always been very shy, innocent & quiet but she agrees to the dare, among her 10 friends, to kiss a man in the moonlight. She was scared death & where would she find this man? Her friend Tilda Hunt tells her she will arrange everything to take place at the next ball & she blackmails (almost) her brother, Nate, to help her friend by just kissing her on the balcony so she can complete her dare.
Nathaniel “Nate” Hunt was a breathtaking example of a perfect man. However; his father had gambled away everything & when his parents died, it left him & his sister, Matilda “Tilda”, to live on the streets. He had to do something – so with the little bit of money he had saved, he bought a partnership a gaming hall & eventually bought the entire business & turned it in to one of London’s most notorious & exclusive gambling club. The charismatic proprietor & now very rich had a reputation of being a ruthless business man & quite the rogue about town with the ladies. He catered his business to everyone, including Dukes & Earls & he would cut them off if he felt they couldn’t pay – Nate also used this as leverage to obtain invitations for his sister to attend the Ton’s social functions.
Nate & Alice meet & both are pleased with the looks of the other in the moonlight & then she gets her first kiss – both are thunderstruck & their worlds turned upside down but what was this – a one time meeting, a simple kiss or more?
I cannot wait for Lucia story coming up & then Kitty, Harriet, Bonnie & Tilda plus we will get to see how the Earl of St. Clair, Marquess of Montagu & Viscount Cavendish figure in to the mix. I highly recommend this book & series – you will love the cast of characters
I often relinquish to go back in time and read authors I love series when there are too many books to catch up, but when I saw the previous was first in a new series I jumped on the opportunity.
So while the first book introduced The Peculiar Ladies club but it was more centered about Prue, her secrets and her relationship with Robert than the other wallflowers.
Here, even if the romance was about Alice and Nate, it was a three points of view story as Mathilda, Nate’s sister has an equally important part in it. Plus it introduced in greater details the other members of the club.
I can’t wait for Kitty, Harriet, Bonnie and Tilda’s stories, as they all carry secrets of their own and Mathilda’s interactions with the Marquess of Montagu become more and more intriguing as time pass in her bother’s story.
The main plot took place in a very short span of time, it was instant-attraction for Alice and Nate, from their first encounter to their second meeting, they can’t stop thinking about another, why everything moved so fast right after. But the story didn’t felt rushed, every important moments during those 5 days were developed and the Peculiar Ladies Club members added to the fun.
I was a little taken aback to see the man Nate has become fall so hard and so fast for Alice, while she was more circumspect about them. But she is also the perfect incarnation of all his lost dreams, why maybe he didn’t stood a chance against her sweetness.
As for Alice growing a spine, at first it felt strange but she began when she entered the Dare game, so why not once she discovered living a little what not so scaring and can bring joy. Sure it was a complete reversal but it was also fueled by years of frustrations, so when you open the pandora box …
Now I wait for Lucia’s story, I more guarded about this one as revenge stories are far from my favorites with too much angst and hurt but as I read the first chapter, I loved the hero, so maybe it will not be so bitter as I fear.
I enjoyed this book. I liked the way love came when they least expected it to happen. An all around good read.
A Daring Dare
As a member of a special club for young women with social issues, Miss Alice Dowding was surprised by her own willingness to select a dare from the hat – and what a dare she picked. Oh my. Alice is to kiss a stranger in the moonlight. Wow. How is a very timid and very tiny woman to complete such a task. With a little help from her friends, naturally.
Mr. Nathaniel Hunt is not only very wealthy, he also is the notorious owner of an exclusive gambling establishment. Men fear him and women want him, but when his sister asks for his help, he is helpless to refuse because he owes his sister anything her heart desires.
I usually love Emma V. Leech’s books, and I did enjoy To Steal a Kiss. That said, I wish the entire book had been as absorbing as the first third and the last third. Although the story was good and overall well written, what slowed the pace was the excessive and repetitive introspection. Still, it was an entertaining read and I really liked Nate and Alice. Their love story was sweet and smile worthy, and the chemistry in their first kiss was smok’n hot. I also liked all the supporting ladies of the secret club for young women with various social issues. There was also a villain who was creepy, but he was no match for women with a plan.
Lastly, I understand that this book is part of a series, but I am always a bit disappointed when there is not an epilogue. (sigh)
Content 411: This book contains religious and secular swearing, but no hardcore vulgarities. It also contains passionate kissing, fondling and suggestive language.
Charming!
I liked Nate from the beginning. Though motivated by guilt, he went above and beyond for his sister Matilda. All she requested was that he kiss her mousy friend, but he did it in such a romantic way that meant so much to Alice. He charmed Alice out of her mousy shell, making her realize her strength and daring. That kiss was their lifeline to happiness. Matilda’s side story was interesting but almost got in the way of Nate and Alice’s.
This is one of my favorites in the series. This has a great storyline and depth of characters. This is a must-read series. The friendship of the girls adds to the story.